Machine for brushing the ends of cylindrical workpieces



April 4, 1967 H. A. SPITTLER MACHINE FOR BRUSHING THE ENDS OFCYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES Filed Jan. 17, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

HENRY A. SPITTLER JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

April 4, 1967 H. A. SPITTLER MACHINE FOR BRUSHING THE ENDS OFCYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES Filed Jan. 17, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mun JOHN P.CHANDLER H IS ATTORNEY.

April 4, 1967 H. A. SPITTLER 3,311,940

MACHINE FOR BRUSHING THE ENDS OF CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES Filed Jan. 1'7,1966 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 64 FIG- 3 INVENTOR.

HENRY A. SPITTLER BY JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,311,940 MACHINE FOR BRUSHING THE ENDS FCYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES Henry A. Spittler, Upper Saddle River, N.J.,assignor to Columbia Steel & Brass Corporation, Monroe, N.Y. Filed Jan.17, 1966, Ser. No. 521,076 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-88) This invention relatesto brushing machines and relates more particularly to an automaticassembly for feeding cylindrical workpieces to power driven wire brusheswhich operate on the ends of the workpieces, such as metal tubes, toremove burrs, saw markings and other imperfections resulting fromcutting the workpieces to length.

An important object of the invention is to provide improved means forfeeding and supporting cylindrical workpieces to the brushing elementsand consisting essentially of conjointly rotatable feed wheels having aplurality of aligned, generally U-shaped recesses, one side of each ofwhich are provided with a pair of rollers onto which the tubularworkpiece is delivered. These rollers support the tube for rotativemovement during the brushing operation and during which time the brushesremove the burrs and also impart rotation to the workpiece as its endsare moved at a predetermined speed past the brushes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterdescribed which is rapid in operation and has improved means forsupporting the workpieces for free rotative movement while their endsare being operated on by a pair of rugged, rapidly rotating wire brushesthat impart rotation to the tube as they brush in a myriad of directionsand thus perform a more satisfactory brushing and de-burring operationthan has previously been possible.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the machine of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

3,3 1 1,940 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 spaced guide plates 23 constitutingangle bars, in adjusted, fixed position, their distance apart beingslightly more than the length of the tubular workpieces 19.

Adjacent the rear edge of the feed table are a plurality of recesses 24with slots 25 to receive set screws 26 to secure fingers 28 withupturned forward ends 29 forming stops. These stops are moved to anadjusted position, depending upon the diameter of the tubes beingoperated upon. The feed assembly rotates in the direction of the arrowsin FIGS. 3 and 6. The opposed edges 30 and 31 are disposed in agenerally radial direction. More specifically the trailing edge 30 iscoextensive with a straight line passing to the axis and the leadingedge 31 is substantially parallel therewith. The trailing edge 30 has atriangular extension extending towards the opposed edge 31 andterminating in a point 34 for a purpose to be described.

A triangular plate 36 is pivoted at 38 along the trailing edge 30 andhas a curved slot 39 at its opposite edge receiving a set screw 40 whichpasses through wheel 11 to secure the plate in .a desired position whenit is necessary to reduce the width of the slot in case smaller tubesare being operated upon. Adjacent the other edge 31 there are mounted apair of rollers 41 and 42 mount ed for free rotation on pins 44 andwhose peripheries extend inwardly of leading edge 31. These rollers arespaced apart a sufiicient distance to provide an ideal rolling supportfor the workpieces, when they reach the position of 19a (FIG. 3) wherethey are operated upon.

The rotating feed wheel assembly is constantly driven by a motor 46having a shaft 47 and a speed reduction unit 48 between the motor andthat shaft. This shaft is connected with shaft 14 by a chain drive 49engaging a sprocket (not shown) fast on shafts 47 and FIG. 4 shows thefeeding of the tubes to the feed wheel assembly;

FIG. 5 shows one of the tubes having passed into the aligned slots inthe feed wheel assembly;

FIG. 6 shows the successive positions of one tube end during the time inwhich it is being operated on by the circular wire brush;

FIG. 7 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 shows the function of a stop on the feed table limiting forwardtravel of the tubes.

The operative parts of the present apparatus are mounted on a base plateor frame ltlwhich may be supported on legs (not shown). The tubularworkpieces are moved from a fiat bed to a. feed wheel assemblycomprising a pair of spaced feed wheels 11 provided With bushings 12adjustably secured fast on a shaft 14 journalled in bearings 16supported on posts 17 which are mounted on the base plate. Adjustment ofthe position of the feed wheels is made for different lengths of tubing.Each feed wheel has a plurality of equally spaced generally U-shapedslots 18 extending inwardly from its periphery, four of such slots beingshown but a different number may be provided.

These slots receive the cylindrical workpieces 19 from a bed or feedtable 20 which is downwardly inclined and which is long enough tosupport the workpieces over substantially their full length and thistable is suitably mounted in spaced relation to base plate 15! by anyconvenient means and the table is provided with longitudinal slots 21which receive bolts 22 securing The workpieces are operated on by a pairof circular wire brushes having steel bristles 50 radially disposed andsupported by a hub 51 fast on motor shafts 52. Each brush is driven by amotor 54 movable toward and away from the ends of the workpieces onfixed rods 56. Adjustment to a fixed position is effected by a leadscrew 58 journalled in end plates 59, which also rigidly supports therods. Manual rotation of the lead screw is effected by a crank 61.

The workpieces are roughly centered by vertical guide plates 23 andafter leaving the guide plate and entering the aligned recesses 18 inthe feed wheel assembly the workpieces are guided by fixed plates 62extending downwardly from an upper wall or bridge 64 secured in elevatedposition by end frames 66. The entrant portions of the fixed guideplates are bent diagonally outwardly as at 67 to correct anymisalignment that may occur after leaving plates 23. Plates 23 and 62can be adjusted, depending upon the length of the tubes. Also, the wirebrushes 56 can be moved in or out on motor shaft 52 to compensate forchanges in tube diameter to insure proper rotation.

The arrangement for feeding the workpieces 19 to the slots 18 in thefeed wheels, one at a time, is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 9. The tubes rolldown feed table 20 until they contact the outer peripheries of wheels 11where they dwell until a pair of aligned slots 18 permit further travelof the leading tube 1%. FIG. 4 shows tube 19a just entering the slotsand FIG. 9 shows the forward movement of the tube being stopped byfinger 29.

As rotation of the assembly continues, the trailing edge 30 with itspointed projection 34 causes the tube to be raised and travel inwardlyto the base of slots 18 .as shown in FIG. 5. When tube 19a has movedinto the rotating feed assembly, the second tube 1% which O is in anelevated position takes the leading position and thus moves ahead oftube 19c.

Rotation of the feed wheel assembly continues and the tube, during itsarcuate travel, reaches the uppermost position of 19d and thence over tothe rearward position at 19c where it is supported on the two rollers 41and 42.

FIG. 3 shows the tube to be substantially in the center of the mass ofmetal bristles 50 of the brushing wheel but its progressive travel withreference to the Width of the brush is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Atposition X, the tube, supported on the freely rotatable rollers, firstencounter the rapidly rotating brush and the brush causes the tube tocommence turning on its axis. By the time the tube gets to the positionof Y, it is turning quite rapidly and then its rotation slows a bit butrotation is resumed as the tube gets further from the center of thebrush as at Z. FIG. 8 shows this progressive positioning of the tube endwhen viewed from the side as it is attacked by the rapidly rotating wirebrush. By virtue of the rotation imparted to the tube the end section isthoroughly brushed on the inner and outer edges and all burrs areremoved.

There are no forces tending to throw the tube out of the aligned slotsin the feed wheels but the tubes are nevertheless prevented fromtravelling out of the slot by means of a pair of spaced curved guides 75secured at 76 to bridge 64 and which extend downwardly close to theperiphery of feed wheels 11. The tube arriving at 19 is ready to bedischarged from the feed wheel assembly and it rolls to the front whereit is stopped by flange 78. Further guide means include a central curvedplate 79.

While there have been described herein what are at present consideredpreferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be madetherein without departing from the essence of the invention. It istherefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments areillustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which isdefined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that comewithin the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intendedto be included therein.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for brushing the ends of cylindrical workpieces comprising,in combination, a frame, a pair of spaced circular brushes journalledfor rotation on the frame in a plane extending longitudinally thereof, arotatable feed assembly including a shaft mounted for rotation in anarea between the brushes, a pair of spaced feed wheels secured on theshaft and having a plurality of pairs of aligned, generally U-shapedrecesses around their peripheries, each pair receiving a cylindricalworkpiece for delivery to the brushes during rotation of the assembly,each recess having opposed, leading and trailing edges, both disposedgenerally radially of the assembly axis, means for rotating the feedassembly at a relatively low speed and the brushes at a relatively highspeed, a feed table for the workpieces which is downwardly inclinedtowards the rear of the machine for delivering said pieces to a pair ofslots at a point about midway between the upper and lower edges at thefront of said feed wheels, said wheels rotating upwardly and rearwardlyfrom said point, and means comprising a pair of rollers along theleading radial edges of each pair of slots for supporting each workpiecefor rotation by the brushes as said brushes engage the ends of eachworkpiece and operate thereon while it is in a rearward position on thefeed assembly, and a plate adjustably mounted adjacent the trailing edgeof each slot on the feed wheels to vary the width of said slot toreceive workpieces of different diameters.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the feedwheels is movable on the shaft to an adjusted, fixed position to receiveworkpieces of varying lengths.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the brushes are movablelongitudinally of the frame to an adjusted fixed position to operateupon workpieces of varying lengths.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein guides are provided atopposite ends of the feed table which are adjusted to accommodateworkpieces of varying lengths.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the feed table has stopfingers extending rearwardly of the front peripehries of the feedwheels, limiting rearward travel of a workpiece into a pair of slots.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein the outer end of thetrailing edge of each slot has a projecting point which picks up theworkpiece being fed.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein each one of said plates ispivoted in spaced relation to said projecting point of the trailing edgeof the slot, and pin and slot means for securing an edge of the plate inan adjusted fixed position with reference to said trailing edge of theslot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,974,696 9/1934Swanson 51-108 X 2,062,106 11/1936 Reinhardt 51-108 X 3,001,280 9/1961Lyon 15--88 X 3,045,268 7/1962 Coan 15-88 3,073,074 1/1963 Price 51-108CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A MACHINE FOR BRUSHING THE ENDS OF CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES COMPRISING,IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A PAIR OF SPACED CIRCULAR BRUSHED JOURNALLEDFOR ROTATION ON THE FRAME IN A PLANE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, AROTATABLE FEED ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SHAFT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN ANAREA BETWEEN THE BRUSHES, A PAIR OF SPACED FEED WHEELS SECURED ON THESHAFT AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF ALIGNED, GENERALLY U-SHAPEDRECESSES AROUND THEIR PERIPHERIES, EACH PAIR RECEIVING A CYLINDRICALWORKPIECE FOR DELIVERY TO THE BRUSHES DURING ROTATION OF THE ASSEMBLY,EACH RECESS HAVING OPPOSED, LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES, BOTH DISPOSEDGENERALLY RADIALLY OF THE ASSEMLY AXIS, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE FEEDASSEMBLY AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED AND THE BRUSHES AT A RELATIVELY HIGHSPEED, A FEED TABLE FOR THE WORKPIECES WHICH IS DOWNWARDLY INCLINEDTOWARDS THE REAR OF THE MACHINE FOR DELIVERING SAID PIECES TO A PAIR OFSLOTS AT A POINT ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AT THEFRONT OF SAID FEED WHEELS, SAID WHEELS ROTATING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLYFROM SAID POINT, AND MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROLLERS ALONG THELEADING RADIAL EDGES OF EACH PAIR OF SLOTS FOR SUPPORTING EACH WORKPIECEFOR ROTATION BY THE BRUSHES AS SAID BRUSHES ENGAGE THE ENDS OF EACHWORKPIECE AND OPERATE THEREON WHILE IT IS IN A REARWARD POSITION ON THEFEED ASSEMBLY, AND A PLATE ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE TRAILING EDGEOF EACH SLOT ON THE FEED WHEELS TO VARY THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOT TORECEIVE WORKPIECES OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS.